乌龟大王亚特尔

星期六的午后，上海下了小雨。天色昏暗，马路上都湿了，彷佛秋天已经到了。

我找出了"Friends"的第一季，一个人在屋里看。第九集里，Ross到前妻Carol处取东西，发现那里有本《Yertle the Turtle》（乌龟大王亚特尔）。

我觉得这个书名很有趣，但从来没有听说过这本书。于是，我从网上找到了这篇短短的童话，读完以后觉得它真是写得很好，很有启发和教育意义。我发现网上还没有它的中文本，就自己动手把它译了出来，:-)

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Yertle the Turtle

乌龟大王亚特尔

作者：苏斯博士（Dr. Seuss）
译者：阮一峰

On the far-away island of Sala-ma-Sond,
Yertle the Turtle was king of the pond.
A nice little pond. It was clean. It was neat.
The water was warm. There was plenty to eat.
The turtles had everything turtles might need.
And they were all happy. Quite happy indeed.

有一个很远很远的岛，叫做沙拉－玛－沙德岛，
那里的池塘住着乌龟大王亚特尔。
那是一个美丽的小池塘，干净又整洁。
池水温暖，食物充足。
乌龟们什么也不缺。
它们全都快快乐乐，非常非常的快乐。

They were... until Yertle, the king of them all,
Decided the kingdom he ruled was too small.
"I'm ruler", said Yertle, "of all that I see.
But I don't see enough. That's the trouble with me.
With this stone for a throne, I look down on my pond
But I cannot look down on the places beyond.
This throne that I sit on is too, too low down.
It ought to be higher!" he said with a frown.
"If I could sit high, how much greater I'd be!
What a king! I'd be ruler of all that I see!"

但是现在......一切都变了，乌龟大王亚特尔
觉得它的王国太小了。
"我是国王"，它说，"统治着一切我能看到的东西。
但我觉得这还不够，我很不满意。
这块石头是我的王位，坐在上面，我可以看到整个池塘。
但是它太低，太低了。
它应该更高！"它皱着眉头说。
"如果我坐得更高，我将是多么伟大，
多么了不起的一个国王啊！我看到的一切，都要受我的统治！"

And Yertle, the Turtle King, gave a command.
He ordered nine turtles to swim to his stone
And, using these turtles, he built a new throne.
He made each turtle stand on another one's back
And he piled them all up in a nine-turtle stack.
And then Yertle climbed up. He sat down on the pile.
What a wonderful view! He could see 'most a mile!

于是，乌龟大王亚特尔下了命令。
它命令九只乌龟来到石头前。
它用这些乌龟做了一个新的王位。
每只乌龟都叠在另一只的背上，
它让九只乌龟高高地叠在一起。
然后，自己爬上去，坐在上面。
多么美妙的景观啊！它能看到一英里以外！

"All mine!" Yertle cried. "Oh, the things I now rule!
I'm the king of a cow! And I'm the king of a mule!
I'm the king of a house! And, what's more, beyond that
I'm the king of a blueberry bush and a cat!
I'm Yertle the Turtle! Oh, marvelous me!
For I am the ruler of all that I see!"

"它们都是我的！"它叫起来。"哦，现在它们都归我统治！
我是一头母牛的国王！我是一头骡子的国王！
我是一所房子的国王！更远的地方还有呢，
我是蓝莓灌木丛的国王，我是一只猫的国王！
我是乌龟大王亚特尔！哦，我多么伟大啊！
我是我看到的一切的统治者！"

And all through the morning, he sat up there high
Saying over and over, "A great king am I!"
Until 'long about noon. Then he heard a faint sigh.
"What's that?" snapped the king,and he looked down the stack.
And he saw, at the bottom, a turtle named Mack.
Just a part of his throne. And this plain little turtle
Looked up and he said, "Beg your pardon, King Yertle.
I've pains in my back and my shoulders and knees.
How long must we stand here, Your Majesty, please?"

整个早上，它都高高的坐着，
一遍又一遍的说，"我是一个了不起的国王！"
中午过了很久，它听到一声微弱的叹气。
"什么声音？"国王呵斥道。它从上往下看。
看到了最低下那只叫做莫克的乌龟。
它是王位的一部分。这只普通的小乌龟
抬起头，说："乌龟大王亚特尔，请原谅。
我的背，我的肩膀，我的膝盖都在疼。
陛下，我们还必须在这里待多久呀？"

"SILENCE!" the King of the Turtles barked back.
"I'm king, and you're only a turtle named Mack."

"闭嘴！"乌龟大王低头训斥。
"我是国王，你只是一直叫做莫克的乌龟。"

"You stay in your place while I sit here and rule.
I'm the king of a cow! And I'm the king of a mule!
I'm the king of a house! And a bush! And a cat!
But that isn't all. I'll do better than that!
My throne shall be higher!" his royal voice thundered,
"So pile up more turtles! I want 'bout two hundred!"

"你有你待的位置，而我就坐在这里统治一切。
我是一头母牛的国王！我是一头骡子的国王！
我是一所房子的国王！还有灌木丛！还有一只猫！
这还不够。我还要更多！
我的王位还要更高！"它显赫的声音好像雷鸣，
"让更多的乌龟堆在一起！我要两百只！"

"Turtles! More turtles!" he bellowed and brayed.
And the turtles 'way down in the pond were afraid.
They trembled. They shook. But they came. They obeyed.
From all over the pond, they came swimming by dozens.
Whole families of turtles, with uncles and cousins.
And all of them stepped on the head of poor Mack.
One after another, they climbed up the stack.

"乌龟们！更多的乌龟！"它又喊又叫。
池塘里的乌龟们都感到害怕。
它们发抖，它们摇晃。但它们还是乖乖的过来了。
从池塘的各个角落，它们成群结队的游过来。
许多乌龟都是一家一起来，里面有伯父和堂兄。
所有的乌龟都踩在莫克可怜的头上。
一个接一个，它们爬上去堆在一起。

Then Yertle the Turtle was perched up so high,
He could see forty miles from his throne in the sky!
"Hooray!" shouted Yertle. "I'm the king of the trees!
I'm king of the birds! And I'm king of the bees!
I'm king of the butterflies! King of the air!
Ah, me! What a throne! What a wonderful chair!
I'm Yertle the Turtle! Oh, marvelous me!
For I am the ruler of all that I see!"

这样，乌龟大王亚特尔就坐得更高了，
它的王位升到了天上，它可以看见四十英里以外！
"好哇！"乌龟大王叫道。"我是树林的国王！
我是小鸟的国王！我是蜜蜂的国王！
我是蝴蝶的国王！我是空气的国王！
啊，这就是我！这个王位太好了，太美妙了！
我是乌龟大王亚特尔！啊，我多伟大！
我是我看到的一切的统治者！

Then again, from below, in the great heavy stack,
Came a groan from that plain little turtle named Mack.
"Your Majesty, please... I don't like to complain,
But down here below, we are feeling great pain.
I know, up on top you are seeing great sights,
But down here at the bottom we, too, should have rights.
We turtles can't stand it. Our shells will all crack!
Besides, we need food. We are starving!" groaned Mack.

从这又高又沉的王位下面，又一次
传来了小乌龟莫克的呻吟。
"陛下，求求你......我不喜欢抱怨，
但是待在下面，我们都感到很疼。
我知道您在上面，看到了美妙的景色。
但是我们在下面的乌龟，也应该有权利啊。
我们这些乌龟不能再忍受了。我们的壳快要裂开了！
此外，我们还需要事物。我们快饿死了！"莫克呻吟道。

"You hush up your mouth!" howled the mighty King Yertle.
"You've no right to talk to the world's highest turtle.
I rule from the clouds! Over land! Over sea!
There's nothing, no, NOTHING, that's higher than me!"

"闭上你的嘴！"庄严的乌龟大王亚特尔怒吼道。
"你没有权利与世界上最伟大的乌龟说话。
我是从天上来统治一切的！我俯视大地！我俯视海洋！
没有东西比我更高了，没有这样的东西！"

But, while he was shouting, he saw with surprise
That the moon of the evening was starting to rise
Up over his head in the darkening skies.
"What's THAT?" snorted Yertle. "Say, what IS that thing
That dares to be higher than Yertle the King?
I shall not allow it! I'll go higher still!
I'll build my throne higher! I can and I will!
I'll call some more turtles. I'll stack 'em to heaven!
I need 'bout five thousand, six hundred and seven!"

但是，正当它大喊大叫，它惊讶的看到
夜晚的月亮慢慢升上来
在黑暗的天空中悬在它的头顶。
"那是什么？"乌龟大王哼了一声，"这是什么玩意
胆敢比乌龟大王亚特尔还高？
我决不允许它。我还要坐得更高！
我要我的王位变得更高！我能做到，我一定能做到！
我还要叫更多的乌龟。我要把它们堆到天上！
我需要五千，六百零七只乌龟！"

But, as Yertle, the Turtle King, lifted his hand
And started to order and give the command,
That plain little turtle below in the stack,
That plain little turtle whose name was just Mack,
Decided he'd taken enough. And he had.
And that plain little lad got a bit mad.
And that plain little Mack did a plain little thing.
He burped!
And his burp shook the throne of the king!

但是，就在乌龟大王亚特尔举起手
开始下命令的时候，
被压在王位底下的那只普通的小乌龟，
那只名叫莫克的普通的小乌龟，
觉得它已经受够了，真的受够了，
这只普通的小乌龟变得有点疯狂了。
这只叫做莫克的小乌龟做了一件小事。
它打了一个嗝！
然后，它的嗝动摇了国王的王位！

And Yertle the Turtle, the king of the trees,
The king of the air and the birds and the bees,
The king of a house and a cow and a mule...
Well, that was the end of the Turtle King's rule!
For Yertle, the King of all Sala-ma-Sond,
Fell off his high throne and fell Plunk! in the pond!

乌龟大王亚特尔，这个树丛的国王，
空气、小鸟和蜜蜂的国王，
一所房子、一头母牛、一头骡子的国王......
乌龟大王亚特尔的统治就这样结束了！
亚特尔，这个沙拉－玛－沙德岛上一切东西的统治者，
从它高高的王位上掉了下来，"砰"得跌进了池塘。

And today the great Yertle, that Marvelous he,
Is King of the Mud. That is all he can see.
And the turtles, of course... all the turtles are free
As turtles and, maybe, all creatures should be.

今天，那位伟大的乌龟大王亚特尔成了
伟大的烂泥大王亚特尔。那就是它能看到的一切。
当然，其他的乌龟......所有的乌龟都自由了
像它们----也许是所有生物----本应当的那样自由了。

（完）

英文版和mp3下载：请点击这里。